leghorn for illegal chicken owner?

[chkinut]

Hi guys! i'm an illegal chicken owner

and i have 4 girls that free range in my backyard. i have a 6 ft privacy fence and the girls do GREAT in my yard....never try to fly over the fence, they're all pretty quiet (for the most part...i have an EE that sings the egg song every once in awhile). i've had them for about 8 months with no problems from neighbors at ALL. so.....all is going well! i would like to get 2 more chicks this spring, which will bring my small flock to only 6. the breeds i'm looking at is a SS and a WL. i'm wondering if the leghorn is a wise choice though. from what i've read about them, they're flighty and noisy. any advice from those who have experience with this breed?

 

[vmdanielsen]

my leghorn is a real flier. May not be the best choice for secrecy, if she ends up flying over to you neighbors yard!

 

[Rebel Rooster]

They are great layers, but, as you've heard, they are flighty and noisy at times!

 

[flgardengirl]

If you only have one or two leghorns that are raised with other breed chickens they sometimes take on the personality of the flock. I have one leghorn girl who wants her neck scratched and to be cuddled each and everymorning. She was raised with several other breeds that act that way. When I had a whole flock of leghorns they are usually fairly friendly as in come to you for treats and such but not really want to be held. My leghorn can and does get over a 6 ft fence to freerange out of her run so they are good flyers. My wyandottes can get over the same fence too. My sussex haven't yet. The wyandottes and sussex are very friendly too and good layers but not quite as reliable as the leghorn. My sussex tells me long stories about all the coop gossip every morning.

 

[Illia]

They are indeed flighty, noisy, and not very friendly. . . If you actually want a white egg layer, there are plenty other breeds out there that do the job.

For me, my white egg layers are Polish. They come in some beautiful colors, and if raised right, are very calm and friendly. Some people think they're dumb and blind because of their crest, but none of mine have been so. A couple of my hatchery based girls are skittish when it is rainy and their crests are floppy, but that's the worst it gets to out here.

 

[chkinut]

Quote:
wow, thanks everyone! now, the polish, i know what breed you're talking about, we had a couple when i was kid and i loved them! if i had only one polish, would the others pick on it? i had one silkie, and had to give her away cuz the others started picking on her. it was weird, cuz they all got along for months! then they just decided not to accept her....mainly my BO decided! and also, what are the size of their eggs? i'm also considering a welsummer.

 

[Illia]

Polish lay a medium white egg. They may or may not get picked on. If for any reason it would be because of flock integration (will happen with any breed anyway) or because of her crest. If that's a worry, another white egg laying, colorful breed are Spitzhaubens. They're white with black dots all over, have a smaller crest, and are pretty spunky. They're also a rare breed. I believe most hatcheries do carry them though.

Welsummers are another good choice.

If you decide to add more to your flock, and add them in a group, the Polish should do fine. They would get treated just as fairly as their mates that came with them.

 

[chkinut]

Quote:
awesome! i'll look them up on MPC site to see if they sell them. i have to order from a company that will sell small orders (no Murray McMurray! lol) if anyone knows of any small order hatcheries other than MPC (to give me more breed choice) let me know. i was just on the MPC site and i came across the Blue Andalusian breed. i wonder if they would be chilled out? i will now go on a search for the Spitzhaubens. i appreciate the guidance!

 

[Meyer Hatchery]

Quote:
awesome! i'll look them up on MPC site to see if they sell them. i have to order from a company that will sell small orders (no Murray McMurray! lol) if anyone knows of any small order hatcheries other than MPC (to give me more breed choice) let me know. i was just on the MPC site and i came across the Blue Andalusian breed. i wonder if they would be chilled out? i will now go on a search for the Spitzhaubens. i appreciate the guidance!

We can ship as few as 3 anywhere in the US and are currently taking 2011 orders. www.meyerhatchery.com